Of Pumpkins and Pick Up Lines
by peppersnot
Summary: Where Sakura changes costumes every five minutes, but that guy seems to have a pick up line for each and every one of them. Sakura is not amused. SasuSaku


**Of Pumpkins and Pick up Lines.**

* * *

Ahh Halloween. My favourite holiday of the year. I like to dress up.

No, scratch that, I _love_ to dress up. And candy. Candy is like, _heaven_. That's why I love Halloween. Because it's like, dress up and candy. Two in one. It's a social bargain.

The only problem is that people always think you can wear only one costume. Which is stupid. I always thought it was stupid.

That is why, this time, I'm going to change the tradition. Nothing _major_. Just, you know, like, change the fact that you can only wear one costume for the holiday.

The plan is that I'm going to keep changing my costume. And that way I'll get double candy from people I've already taken it from, because they won't know it's me again. MWUAHAHA. I'm evil, I know. Maybe I can even just keep showing at the same doorstep, in all my costumes, all throughout the night!

My best friend, Shikamaru, says I'm crazy. He doesn't think I can get away with it. My other best friend, Ino, thinks we're both crazy. She doesn't understand why Shikamaru and I love Halloween. She's the crazy one _actually_. Who doesn't love Halloween?

I mean, so _what_ if I'm seventeen? It's not a big deal! I can dress up if I want! Which I will. Shikamaru doesn't dress up but he agrees with me on the candy thing.

"Sakura, honestly. Don't you think 20 costumes are enough?" Ino says to me as I pull her and Shikamaru along to another costume store. "You're going overboard!"

"No Ino, you don't understand. My love for costumes is greater than your love for cosmetics and accessories."

"Atleast my 'love' is logical! I'm a girl so I act like one!"

"Would you two stop being so troublesome?" Shikamaru says, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Ino, Let her do what she likes!"

Ino and Shikamaru are dating. I'm the single one in our group. I'm also on the lookout for a good boyfriend.

Well, no, not really.

I don't date. Mainly because I'm waiting for my 'One'.

My 'One' who doesn't know I exist. No actually, that's a lie. He does know I exist. He works with me at the cafe.

And it's like the usual cliche. He doesn't think of me the way I think of him.

I feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I imagine his arm around my shoulders. Like Shikamaru and Ino are right now.

"Thinking about dearest Sasuke kun?" Ino smirks at me. I blush and turn away. It's not fair.

They tease me about Sasuke even though I didn't tease them about each other before they started dating.

I smile to myself as I think about him.

His name is Sasuke Uchiha. Seventeen, like me, with black hair and onyx eyes that I always get lost in, he's the hottest guy in town. All the girls are gaga over him. There's a whole _fanclub._

But he doesn't date.

Once I mustered up the courage to ask him why. His response was a smirk.

"There's only one person I would date." He'd said.

I hadn't dared to ask him who.

Firstly, because he'd think me a nosy freak, and secondly, because even if he didn't, he obviously didn't like _me_ so it would just be a disappointment (in other words, sobbing and crying my heart out and a waste of money on icecream).

I like to pretend that that _person_ is me. Wish upon a star. Yeah, I believe in that crap.

"Sakura, are we ready to go yet?" Ino snaps me out of my reverie.

"Yeah, yeah, just...five more minutes." I look at my basket. I have stuffed atleast six more costumes into it. "I'll pay for this."

I go to the cashier who looks at my basket, stunned.

"Are you sure you want _all_ of this?"

"Yes."

He punches a few keys into the computer.

"That's going to be ninety one dollars and seventy six cents." He says.

I hand him my credit card and pick up the carrier bag.

He runs the card through the card reader and hands it back to me, with the receipt.

"Thank you for shopping here."

I smile at him and turn around.

And blanch.

Shikamaru and Ino are standing outside, grinning. Well, Ino is. Shikamaru looks faintly amused.

Where they were standing, is Sasuke. He's not looking at me. He's standing with some girl and talking to her. Behind him, a kid is looking through the shelves.

I look at Sasuke. He is wearing a black jacket and black jeans with black converse. The only bit of colour on him is his blue T-shirt which is barely visible under his jacket. He's leaning against the wall, the silver guitar pick necklace around his neck glinting under the lights. His family emblem is proudly displayed on the back of his jacket. It should be illegal to be that hot.

I glare at Ino and Shikamaru. Shikamaru is still only amused, and Ino is in hysterics. Typical.

Just then, Mr. Perfect looks over at me and notices me staring at him. He smiles and mouths a 'hey'.

I grin back stupidly. My mind has turned to mush. Oh damn. He's walking towards me.

"Hey, Sakura." He says.

"Hi." My voice has gone high pitched and squeaky.

"What're you doing here?" He asks.

"I...um...nothing really." I giggle nervously. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm here with my cousin and her younger brother." He points. The girl smiles at me. I see the resemblance and feel relieved.

She's not his girlfriend. Thank god.

"He wanted a halloween costume."

"I got one too!" I blurt out.

Then immediately curse myself for it. What kind of idiot must I seem to him, dressing up for halloween at _seventeen? _Way to go, Sakura. Shannaro.

"You dress up?"

"Uh..."

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I find it cute."

I blush all the way down to my toes.

"Uh...my friends are waiting for me, I should go now." I smile. "Nice talking to you!"

"Likewise. See you around." He says.

Once outside, I promise Ino and Shikamaru that I will kill them one day.

They're still teasing me by the time they drop me home.

"Sakura, how many costumes did you buy?" My mother says as I enter the house.

"Uh..." Quick Sakura! Count! Um...six plus two plus nine plus one plus...seven...plus...four.

"Twenty nine..." I mutter.

"TWENTY NINE?" Nami, my elder sister, who is twenty and doesn't believe in anything I do. "YOU BOUGHT TWENTY NINE COSTUMES?"

My mother facepalms. "Twenty nine plus those fifteen other costumes you had since August? Sakura, are you _crazy?_"

I give a nervous smile. "I...I'll wear all of them!"

"ONCE. You only wear your costumes _once._"

"I'll donate them to a charity store."

"What am I going to do with you Sakura?"

"Give me extra candy?"

Mum scowls. "Go up to your room and clean it. NAMI! Get your hands off that chocolate! It's for tomorrow!"

The familiar sense of excitement overwhelms me again. Tomorrow is halloween! I can't _wait._

* * *

My first costume for the big night is a butterfly.

I have a sleeveless blue glitter dress inside which I wear a black skintight leotard. The sleeves of the leotard are multi-coloured and glittery as well. Black sequinned pumps. My pink hair is loose around my shoulders, with my bangs falling into my eyes.

I look at my reflection and smile. I look pretty good. Hot.

The doorbell rings and I rush downstairs, holding my wings. It's eight and Shikamaru and Ino are supposed to arrive any minute.

I open the door and Ino gives a squeal of excitement.

"Sak, you look so CUTE! Makes me wish I could dress up too!"

"You can! I have loads of costumes in my wardrobe!"

"Yeah, forty three to be exact." Nami says, as she passes by, rolling her eyes. She's not dressed up. She's wearing her pyjamas. Honestly, who wears _pyjamas_ on Halloween?

"I was kidding." Ino says, staring at me. "Honestly Sakura? Forty three?"

I grin sheepishly. "Maybe."

She shakes her head at me. "You're crazy."

"And I'm _hungry_." Shikamaru says. "Can we go?"

"Yeah!" I pull on my wings and close the door behind me. "Let's go!"

We reach the first door where a bunch of kids are oggling my costume.

The old lady who opens the door looks shocked out of her wits.

"Aren't you a little old for this?"

I shrug.

"Maybe." I say.

She rolls her eyes at me and hands us a chocolate bar each.

We thank her and go on ahead.

As we walk, someone behind me whistles.

I turn around and see a guy. I can't see his face, exactly, but I can almost _feel_ his smirk.

"Hey cutie. Wanna pollinate with a real bug?" He says.

I gape at him. What the _hell?_

Shikamaru snickers and I turn around, shocked and freaked out. I need to change my costume, _now._

I tell Ino and Shikamaru to wait and run home, to change.

* * *

I dig through my costumes, looking for something decent and finally I find it.

A a long angel dress, which is floor length so it doesn't reveal anything. More dignified. Halo on, white pumps, I'm ready.

* * *

I reach to where Shikamaru and Ino are waiting for me. More like, _not_ waiting. Playing tonsil hockey.

Yuck.

"Ewwwwh, PDA!" I yell, like a kid would have, and they jump apart, cheeks flaming and all.

I charge past them, inwardly snickering. I hear them sigh before they follow me.

As we walk, this dude comes up behind me and says, "Hey baby, can I take your picture?"

"What the - ?" I turn, but it's too dark to see his face.

"I want to prove to my friends that angels exist." He says in a flirty voice.

_It's the same bloody guy!_

I scream at the world – mentally – and run away. Who knew white robes also attract flirts with creepy pick up lines?

I'm going to go home and change. Into something bizarre.

Like…like a _rubix cube._ There _can't_ be any pick up lines for THAT.

* * *

Right. So apparently pick up lines aren't the only thing I have to worry about.

I was walking along, with Shikamaru and Ino – well, they were walking a few feet behind me for some reason – in my rubix cube outfit, which was a cardboard box thingy with holes for my head, arms and feet.

I stopped at a house, rang the doorbell and plastered this huge smile on my face.

The door opened and out popped the head of a guy around my age. He took one look at me and burst into laughter.

I could feel the heat rising up my cheeks.

"Shut up!" I said, indignantly but it just made him laugh more.

By the time I decided that I wasn't going to get any candy from _him_, he was rolling around on his front porch, overcome with hysterics.

So here I am, yet again, standing in front of my wardrobe, trying to decide what costume I should wear _now_.

Oooh I know!

* * *

"Sakura…what on earth are you doing?" Mum says as I walk downstairs – with much difficulty I must add. My costume is kind of stiff. No, scratch that, It's _extremely_ stiff.

"I'm an alien!" I say brightly. Mum looks quite freaked out. Although I don't really blame her. I do look strange, I admit.

My skin has been painted green, my eyes have these extraordinary long, hot pink eyelashes stuck on them, my hair is dyed different colours, I am wearing a pink skin coloured leotard with a glitter skirt and glitter bra over it. It looks strange, really, but It's Halloween after all. Nami comes out of the kitchen, takes on look at me and bursts into hysterical laughter.

"You are _not_ my sister." She manages to say between fits.

I scowl, make a face at her and leave the house.

I run to where Ino and Shikamaru were supposed to be waiting for me. Shikamaru"s reaction is exactly like NamI's. Ino looks horrified but doesn't say anything.

"Sakura…isn't that outfit - "

"RAD?" I cut her off. I don't want to hear anymore about how over the top it is. I'm feeling self conscious already.

"Uh…yeah! Rad," she laughs nervously. "Hey, do you mind if me and Shika go off for a while? Only a while?"

I shrug. "Go ahead."

"Cool. See you at dinner. We're going like, normally right?" Ino asks.

I nod.

They leave with a wave (Shikamaru) and a hug and kiss on the cheek (Ino).

I sigh. I look ridiculous. I understand why my friends have just ditched me. I embarrass them. I turn to go back home when a voice comes from behind me, "Hey babe, you an alien? "Cause you abducted my heart!"

"Shut your trap, you weasel." I mutter dangerously before I stomp off home.

* * *

"So…what're you dressed up as now? Shikamaru?" Nami asks as I walk down the stairs.

"I'm giving up on the stupid costumes," I mumble. I'm wearing a plain red hoodie, a pair of black jeans and red All Stars. My iPod earphones are plugged in and "Bad Day" is playing.

"Hmph. About time," Nami says. I roll my eyes at her and leave. I think about going to the mall – I know Ino and Shikamaru are there. They never go anywhere else for dates. Ino is a shopaholic.

I decide against it and settle on roaming the streets. I watch little kids comparing how full their ToT bags are and how awesome their costumes are. I feel jealous. Why do we have to grow up so early?

When I can _not_ walk anymore, I sit down on a bench under a tree and start eating one of the few pieces of chocolate I had acquired.

"Sakura?"

I look up at the familiar voice. On a normal day, I would have fainted. But today, I just mutter hello and ignore Sasuke as he stands a mere two feet away from me.

"You okay, Sakura?" He sits down next to me and as per norm my heartbeat becomes faster although I'm not so shaken by the fact that he's sitting next to me.

I shrug. "Yeah."

"What happened to your costumes?"

"What costumes?"

"You changed into a few different costumes a while ago didn't you?"

He'd _seen _me? Oh god, how embarrassing. I feel the heat rising up my neck but manage to compose myself.

"I was acting on impulse. But it's kind of weird since I'm seventeen so whatever."

"But that's not what's bothering you, is it?"

I look at him. He's staring intensely at me. So intensely in fact, that I can't help but blurt it all out.

" – so then they _ditched_ me and the same guy actually came and used _another_ pick up line on me!"

"No!"

"Yes. I hate life. My friends are embarrassed to be around me and some nuthead is using pick up lines on me and pissing me off."

There's silence then he murmurs, "Sorry…"

"Hm?" I turned to him. "Sorry? What for? You didn't do anything."

"No, well, um…"

"What?"

I watch him fidget. Sasuke is embarrassed. Why the _hell_ is Sasuke Uchiha embarrassed?

"Sasuke?"

"Well, it was actually me." Sasuke says, turning pink.

I gape at him.

"What?"

"That guy, was me."

"B-but….WHY?"

"Don't you get it?"

"No."

"Come on, you're not that dense, don't tell me you don't get it."

I give him a blank look (which is genuine, okay)

He sighs in exasperation then grabs my shoulders and kisses me.

I am shocked beyond imagination. My eyes open wide and I am completely rigid. His mouth works expertly against mine, and I feel my brain processing what the hell is going on before I wrap my arms around him and kiss him back.

When he pulls away, we are both breathing rapidly.

"Hey." He mumbles. "If I said you have a nice body, would you hold it against me?"

I smack him on the head and he smirks evilly. "Sorry, sorry. My bad."

I giggle and move closer, whispering in his ear, "Can I borrow some money? I want to call my mom and tell her I met my soulmate."

He grins again and without hesitation, kisses me, again, right on the mouth.

* * *

"You were."

"Was not."

"You were _so_ kissing Sasuke Uchiha."

"How can you say that?"

"We saw."

"I even took a picture."

"INO!"

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_Well, this is old.._

_Wrote it last year…_

_Revieww! Cause I really love those!_

_OOC Sasuke ftw_

_Oh and new username! Whatcha think? I got sick of Maymie xD_

_~pepper:*_


End file.
